Corker tries to ensure Trump can't drop sanctions

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved broad sanctions against Russia. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story.

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As a loner opened fire on GOP baseball players and media obsessed over Sessions, as in Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ congressional testimony on Russian meddling/hacking/chicanery, Tennessee Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker joined 96 other senators in a vote to impose sanctions on Russia for a multitude of sins by President Vladimir Putin. In fact, Corker led the effort as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“With overwhelming Senate passage of the Russia sanctions amendment, the U.S. sends a strong signal to President Putin while ensuring the Trump administration has the flexibility it needs,” Corker said in a statement. He detailed why the “strong signal” is needed.

Greg Johnson, News Sentinel columnist

Greg Johnson, News Sentinel columnist

Paul Efird / News Sentinel

“The Russian government continues to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine, aggravate the crisis in Syria, and destabilize democracies around the world,” Corker said. “This amendment makes clear that we will not continue to tolerate such actions.”

Vlad the Bad is working two tracks — the militaristic track in Ukraine and Syria and a charm offensive in gullible nations with gullible executives — to destabilize democracies and ultimately destroy NATO so he can restore devastating dominion over former Soviet satellites in the Baltics and perhaps beyond. President Bizarro — aka Donald Trump — helps Putin by failing to firmly declare the NATO pact sacrosanct.

The Russia sanctions were tagged onto the Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017. Iran, a Putin ally, pushes the limits of the gullible nuclear agreement executive ordered by President Barack Obama. So Corker, with bipartisan support, shepherded a bill through the Senate that strikes back at two of the most malevolent actors on the planet.

“I was in the SCIF recently — a place where senators go to read classified information — reviewing intelligence, and it truly is astounding what Iran continues to do around the world,” Corker said. “We see destabilizing act after destabilizing act — from missile launches, to arms transfers, to terrorist training, to illicit financial activities, to targeting Navy ships and detaining American citizens — the list goes on and on.”

Sanctions are good — as far as sanctions go — to rein in bad guys. But the Iran-Russia bill also reins in another rogue executive. “This amendment is also an important step as we continue our efforts to reassert congressional authority,” Corker said. “Time and again, the Obama administration abused its executive authority to bypass Congress, and this legislation ensures that Congress — both now and in the future — will be able to weigh in on behalf of the American people.”

The legislation trumps Trump, preventing him from signing away the sanctions and forcing him to make a choice. If the bill passes the House — which we should all pray it does — Trump will have to sign it and irk his comrade in the Kremlin or veto it and prove his bellicosity is a bluff. Time for Trump to man up, to put up or shut up and quit kissing up to Vlad the Bad.

Greg Johnson’s column appears on Fridays. Follow him on Twitter @jgregjohnson. Visit his Greg Johnson Opinions Page on Facebook. Email him at jgregjohnson@hotmail.com.